There's a full change of clothes, usually a stowaway raincoat and always a baseball cap. Then, of course, there is a pair of sneakers or boots, whatever is the opposite of what I have on. And a pair of workmen's gloves because it just seemed like a thing to carry.There's sunblock, insect repellant and hydrocortisone; Band-Aids, joint wraps and antibiotic ointment; and alcohol-based hand wash. There's three kinds of snack bars (two often turn to goo but I still pack 'em) and two 100-calorie packs of dry snacks.

There's also two kinds of ear-splitting whistles, first to ward off animals and second as low-tech calls for help. As for tech, I pack Apple's hardy iPod Shuffle for music, a FitBit to track calories burned, and my iPhone, which functions as my electronic Swiss Army Knife.

Water is next, up to 2 liters of it in two 1-liter bottles if I can find them at a store along the way.

Finally, there is my ersatz walking stick, which is just the handle from a dirt rake I broke in the spring. The handle keeps me from turning my ankles and eases the load on my legs.

Given all this, is it any wonder why it takes two hours for me to get out of the house on hike days?

Producer:
Bill Wolcott is a producer at the Democrat and Chronicle who edits stories, photo galleries and videos and helps maintain our website. Bill is a lifelong New Yorker, a 20-year journalist and a hiker/walker. When not at work, this Chili resident likes to sneak off and explore back roads, dirt paths and the other sides of mountains.&nbsp;